Jets needed this win more than they needed a better draft pick
The Jets escaped with a 30-28 victory over the Commanders on Sunday after blowing a 20-point lead. Here are some thoughts and observations from the game:
1. I see some fan reaction out there that is upset the Jets won the game because of how it affects draft position. I know there is a group of Jets fans who thinks they should tank the rest of the season. I can understand this thought, but I always think winning games is more important than anything else.
Jets fans should know that a high draft pick does not guarantee anything. Zach Wilson at No. 2? Sam Darnold at No. 3? Those did not exactly work out. Joe Douglas and his staff should be able to find good players wherever the Jets are drafting. The odds are higher, of course, of hitting on a pick when you are in the top five, but there are plenty of great players who have been drafted later.
The Jets needed that win on Sunday. The coaches, players, front office members and everyone in the organization needed it. This has been a tough season for the Jets, starting with the Aaron Rodgers injury. Good vibes around the team are a positive. If the Jets blew that game on Sunday, the negativity would be at an incredibly high level today, even on Christmas. The team would have been in danger of losing nine of their last 10 games with the Browns and Patriots coming up. The Jets pulled it out and fans should be happy that the team walked away with a win.
You may look back at this victory with some anger in April, but you should enjoy it in December.
2. I spoke with Jets owner Woody Johnson before Sunday’s game and he told me that Jets coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas would return in 2024. I think this was the smart choice by Johnson.
I understand that Saleh and Douglas do not have a good win/loss record and it is fair to question whether they are the right men for the job. But it would not make sense to make a change in 2024. The Jets are going to be all-in next season with a healthy Aaron Rodgers. Starting over with a new GM and coach would go against that. When people come into those jobs, it is a radical change throughout the whole organization. There are massive changes, most notably with the roster.
The Jets are in position to be a playoff team next year. They need to add a few offensive linemen and a No. 2 wide receiver. But most of the defense is under contract and the Jets have two young stars in Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson. Douglas and Saleh deserve the chance to get it right in 2024 with a healthy Rodgers. They will go into the season knowing this is their last chance to make the playoffs.
It may not be popular with the fans, but Johnson made the right call here.
3. It has been very difficult to evaluate offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett this season. With all the changes along the offensive line and at quarterback, the offense has been a mess all season.
But I thought Hackett had a good game on Sunday against the Commanders. He tried some different things, like screens and reverses. He also had a quarterback in Trevor Siemian who got the ball to Wilson and Hall, the team’s two playmakers. There were plenty of games this season where you would see Wilson, in particular, running wide open and the quarterback could not get him the ball. This is not on Hackett. Siemian was not amazing on Sunday but he got the ball to Hall and Wilson and let them make plays. That is the basis of this offense without Rodgers. It is something Tim Boyle could not do and Zach Wilson struggled with at times.
Hackett has not had a good year in his first season with the Jets but the offense’s struggles are not solely on him. That was clear on Sunday.
4. I’ve been conditioned through years of watching the Jets to expect the worst. So, when Greg Zuerlein was lining up for a 54-yard, game-winning field goal on Sunday, I admit I thought he would miss it. But Zuerlein nailed it like usual. Zuerlein has now made 30 of 31 field-goal attempts this season. After years of watching the Jets search for a kicker, they have finally found a reliable one. He defies even the usual Jets pessimism and has been one of the best acquisitions Joe Douglas has made as general manager.
Revealing stat
The Jets had 85 plays on offense on Sunday, the first time they have had that many since Dec. 3, 2017 when they also had 85 against the Chiefs.
Surprising snap count
The Jets talked about getting rookie Will McDonald more snaps down the stretch, but he only played 13 snaps on Sunday.
Game ball
Hall was a monster Sunday, piling up 191 yards from scrimmage. Hall had 20 rushes for 95 yards and two touchdowns and added 12 receptions for 96 yards. It is hard to believe he is a year removed from ACL surgery.
